Page 49 of Imperfection is Beauty

Chapter 11

Marcus

Was this what it finally felt like?

Wanting to blink your eyes and then immediately be home and be in the person's arms you never wanted to leave?

Finally, fucking finally, the wheels touched down on the tarmac, and I didn’t hesitate to take my phone off airplane mode, and check my messages, mainly ignoring everyone else's but hers.

And I can’t even begin to explain how many times I wanted to say fuck it, leave the field, and race to the locker room to get my phone.

See, I had this regimen of sorts.

On the day of the game, I turned my phone toDo Not Disturbso I could get my head right.

And today, it had been no different.

Except for the fact that for the first time in my professional career, I wanted to be on my phone until the coach started with the pep talk and we walked out of the tunnel.

And, since we were all hustling to get on the plane, I went ahead and slipped it into airplane mode.

Now…. I smiled at the number of messages from her.

Shortcake –Good Luck today. Not that you need it, but still.

Shortcake –I got my phone set up for alerts.

Shortcake –You're shitting me with that call? That wasn’t targeting… they just changed it, fucking right they better change it.

Shortcake –You tell number sixty-two that I have his name on my size six-in-a-half shoe, and it’s ready to kick him in the ass.

Shortcake –Yes! Good job.

Shortcake –W!!!!!! Winner’s win. Losers get stitches.

Laughing, I tapped the picture I had of her and then brought the phone to my ear.

And when she answered it, and I heard her voice? All the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

She sounded hoarse and congested, “Hey you. Great game.”

My chest got tight at her voice, the fuck was wrong? “Thanks. What’s wrong?”

She sighed, “I’ll text it to you. It’s hard to talk.”

I nodded, “Okay, Shortcake. Text me your symptoms. You got medicine?”

I heard her sigh then, “No, I was hoping it wouldn’t hit this fast and I would have time in the morning to get meds.”

Nodding, making sure she understood I meant it, I said, “Okay, text me your symptoms, the plane just landed, be a bit. But I’ll bring you something.”

She was silent for a beat and then I heard, “Marcus, you don’t have to do that.”

Grinning, I said, “Know I don’t. But I’m going to.”

After I got off the phone with her, got off the plane with my duffle, and made it to my SUV, I checked her text and read her symptoms.

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